The Benaki Museum participates for the second consecutive time in the Islamic Arts Biennale, which opens in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on 25 January and will run until 25 May 2025.

The Islamic Arts Biennale is organized by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation and is the first and only Biennale dedicated to the arts of Islamic culture. It presents historical objects and contemporary works as part of a rich continuum, through seven separate sections spread across different halls and outdoor spaces, totalling 100,000 sqm.

The Benaki Museum, the only museum from the Western world that contributed with a special exhibition to the first Biennale of Islamic Arts in 2023 and the only one from Greece in this year’s event, participates in the celebration of the cultural heritage and artistic achievements of the Islamic world with its significant presence at AlMadar.

Silk kaftan with gilded metallic threads, with floral decoration. Ottoman period, Turkey, mid 16th century. Height 134 cm. Benaki Museum,3900

AlMadar (“The Orbit”), promotes cooperation and dialogue between museums and institutions from around the world, with important collections of Islamic art. At this year’s event, institutions from more than 21 countries will present selected objects on the theme of numbers in culture, science and art. Objects representing the celestial world, the mapping of oceans and rivers and mathematical calculations demonstrate that Muslim cultures have used numbers to understand God’s creation and, through harmony, to bring order, symmetry and beauty to everyday life. The historical artefacts at AlMadar are complemented by contemporary artistic creations that highlight the universal, timeless nature of numbers and how they continue to play an important role in Islamic art and culture.

A piece of silk fabric with a stylized inscription. Fatimid period, Egypt 12th century. Height 25 cm, width 31 cm. Benaki Museum 15178

The curatorial team of the Benaki Museum chose to focus on geometry by presenting eight important objects, which testify to the importance of geometry in the decoration of objects, both through the expression of infinity and rhythm, and through its use in the definition of order and harmony. Among these eight objects (four ceramics, two metallic and two textiles), the silk caftan from the collection of Antonis Benakis, decorated with rich floral decoration and gilded metallic threads, which dates from around 1550 (Benaki Museum 3900), stands out.